Fothergill's RHS Courgette Defender F1 Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo 'Defender F1', an elite, highly uniform hybrid cultivar within the squash family.
• Plant Class: Half-Hardy Annual, possessing superior hybrid vigour that ensures rapid germination, robust root systems, and early fruit development.
• Open Plant Habit: Structured with a wide, open leaf framework that keeps the stems accessible, making it very easy to harvest the vegetables without damaging the plant or overlooking hidden crops.
• Advanced Disease Resistance: Bred with robust modern genetics to feature excellent natural tolerance against common garden viruses, ensuring the plants remain healthy, productive, and resilient in the ground over a long season.
• Prolific Fruit Production: Yields a continuous abundance of smooth, dark green, cylindrical courgettes with a crisp texture and a sweet, mild flavour that far surpasses standard supermarket alternatives.
• Vigorous Fast Growth: Establishes rapidly in spring to begin developing usable fruit significantly earlier than traditional heritage varieties, maximizing your seasonal food output.
• Gourmet Culinary Utility: Packed with vitamins and texturally versatile, making it a great choice for slicing into fresh summer salads, stir-frying with garlic, or roasting whole with Mediterranean herbs.

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: For a reliable summer and autumn crop, sow seeds individually indoors in deep pots from April to May, or sow directly outdoors into rich, well-drained soil from May to June once all danger of frost has passed. Position in full sun.
• Planting Out and Spacing: Transplant young indoor-raised seedlings to their final outdoor positions from late May to June, allowing a generous 90cm between individual plants to accommodate the vigorous, sprawling growth habit.
• Moisture and Feeding: Keep the soil consistently moist by watering deeply around the base of the plant, avoiding the foliage to prevent mildew. Apply a high-potash organic liquid fertilizer every two weeks once the first tiny fruits begin to form.
• Harvesting Technique: Cut the courgettes regularly when they reach roughly 10 to 15cm in length using a sharp knife, as frequent picking stimulates the vigorous plant to produce a non-stop flush of fresh fruit until the autumn frosts.